Aguirre to meet ex-Manila councilor, Napoles camp over reopening of PDAF scam probe

Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Wednesday he is set to meet with groups interested in the planned reinvestigation of the Department of Justice (DOJ) into the pork barrel scam.

At a media forum in Manila, Aguirre said he would sit down separately with former Manila councilor Greco Belgica and the camp of detained businesswoman Janet Napoles, who is allegedly the mastermind of the multi-billion peso corruption scheme.

Aguirre said he might meet with Napoles' camp either later today (Wednesday) or Thursday.

Asked what prompted him to launch a reinvestigation, Aguirre said he wanted to make sure "justice will be rendered."

"The number of people who are accused in this PDAF (scam) ay tatlo lang," Aguirre said, referring to former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada even as the Office of the Ombudsman had already indicted a number of former congressmen before the Sandiganbayan. 

"Alam naman natin na marami 'yan so talagang nagkaroon doon dito ng miscarriage of justice kasi dapat noon pa nakasuhan na ang mga 'yan at nang 'di maakusahan ng there is a selective justice," he said.

The possibility of Napoles turning into a state witness came to the fore after the Court of Appeals (CA) acquitted her in the serious illegal detention case lodged by her former aide and cousin Benhur Luy.

Following the release of the decision, Napoles' camp said she is open to turn state witness if the government would ask her to testify against lawmakers and other government officials accused in connection with the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Napoles' lawyer, Stephen David, said they would also move for her transfer to the National Bureau of Investigation Detention Center while she continues to face trial for a string of plunder and graft cases before the Sandiganbayan.

Napoles is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.

"I said what happened to [Janet] Napoles when she was acquitted the other day of serious illegal detention will not affect if ever she will be used as a state witness in the PDAF cases. I said we're going to study," Aguirre said.

"It must appear that she should not be the most guilty. Depende 'yan sa evidence at sa sasabihin niya. You could be utilized as state witness if there are no other witnesses or evidence to support the conviction of a particular person," he added.

Aguirre said he has yet to receive a request from Napoles' camp to make her a state witness. —KG, GMA News